Canadian Healthcare Technology Logo
  • Issues
    • Current Print Issue
    • Print Archive
  • Advertise
    • Publishing Schedule
    • Circulation
    • Unit Sizes and Rates
    • Mechanical Requirements
    • Electronic Advertising
    • White Papers
  • Subscribe
    • Print Edition
    • e-Messenger
    • White Papers
  • Events
  • Vendors
  • About Us

GE Revolution Ascend

GE Revolution Ascend

Enovacom EPC

Enovacom EPC

Privacy & Security

Personal health data vulnerable in BC, commissioner says

January 4, 2023


Michael McEvoyVICTORIA – Sensitive personal health records of British Columbia residents, from mental health to sexually transmitted disease histories, are “disturbingly” vulnerable to leaks, the provincial privacy watchdog says. Information and privacy commissioner Michael McEvoy (pictured) says in a report released by his office in December that security gaps in the public health computer system put it at risk of abuse by bad actors, from cyber criminals to jilted lovers looking for information about an ex.

“Every British Columbian should be troubled by these findings, because it means personal information in the system is vulnerable to misuse and attack,” McEvoy says in an introduction to the report, titled “Left untreated: Security gaps in B.C.’s public health database.”

Collecting and storing personal information is vital to the delivery of health care and managing threats like communicable disease outbreaks, the report says.

However, it says the system’s “entry gate” is weak and the industry standard of multi-factor authentication for access is not universally required.

There’s also no proactive audit program that would alert authorities to individuals trying to use the system for nefarious purposes. Instead, threats are only addressed after a breach or security issue occurs, it says.

McEvoy says it’s “troubling” that the Provincial Health Services Authority, which is responsible for managing the system, has known about the risks since at least 2019 and made little progress to address them.

However, PHSA president David Byres says in a statement the health authority takes privacy seriously and will continue taking steps to ensure sensitive information is secure and protected.

PHSA already upgrades its security systems regularly and assessments have consistently indicated that patient data is sufficiently protected, he says.

The authority also has a user access auditing system in place and is working to enhance those processes. It has a dedicated cybersecurity team that actively works to lessen threats, he adds.

“We thank the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for this report. We commit to carefully reviewing the findings and continuing to ensure our databases are safe and secure for everyone we serve.”

The report makes seven recommendations to address the system’s privacy and security risks, including encrypting personal information.

Technical solutions exist, but they will cost money, McEvoy says. While it may not seem like a top priority when weighed against the value of adding more hospital beds and doctors or shortening surgery wait times, he says the consequences of not doing so could be “catastrophic.”

McEvoy points to a cyberattack last year that knocked out information technology systems in Newfoundland and Labrador’s largest health authority, forcing officials to cancel thousands of appointments, including cancer care.

Eastern Health said that more than 58,000 people had their private data exposed by hackers in the breach.

“These impacts are serious, and we need to treat them seriously,” McEvoy says.

PreviousNext

WP 900×150

WP 900x150

News and Trends

  • RACE streamlines patient journey
  • Healthcare supply chain needs a re-think, observers say
  • EDI spots pricing anomalies in Ontario’s healthcare supply chain
  • AI centres of excellence and companies collaborate on apps
  • Talking Stick: New hope for Indigenous mental healthcare
More from the Print Edition

Subscribe

Subscribe

Free of charge to Canadian hospital managers and executives in nursing homes and home-care organizations. Learn More

Follow us on Social Media!

Follow us on Social Media!

CAN Health Network

CAN Health Network

Nihi Data [Winter 2023]

Nihi Data [Winter 2023]

Advertise with us

Advertise with us

Sectra One Cloud

Sectra One Cloud

Change Healthcare [2]

Change Healthcare [2]

Infoway [Feb2023]

Infoway [Feb2023]

CHT print-200×400

CHT print-200x400

WP 900×150

WP 900x150

Advertise with us

Advertise with us

Sectra One Cloud

Sectra One Cloud

Change Healthcare [2]

Change Healthcare [2]

Infoway [Feb2023]

Infoway [Feb2023]

CHT print-200×400

CHT print-200x400

Contact Us

Canadian Healthcare Technology
1118 Centre Street, Suite 207
Thornhill, Ontario, Canada L4J 7R9
Tel: 905-709-2330
Fax: 905-709-2258
info2@canhealth.com

  • Quick Links
    • Current Print Issue
    • Print Archive
    • Events
    • Vendors
    • About Us
  • Advertise
    • Publishing Schedule
    • Circulation
    • Unit Sizes and Rates
    • Mechanical Requirements
    • Electronic Advertising
    • White Papers
  • Subscribe
    • Print Edition
    • e-Messenger
    • White Papers
  • Resources
    • White Papers
    • Writers’ Guidelines
    • Privacy Policy
  • Topics
    • Administrative Solutions
    • Clinical Solutions
    • Companies
    • Continuing Care
    • Diagnostics
    • Education & Training
  •  
    • Electronic Records
    • Government & Policy
    • Infrastructure
    • Innovation
    • People
    • Privacy and Security

© 2023 Canadian Healthcare Technology

The content of Canadian Healthcare Technology is subject to copyright. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is strictly prohibited. Send all requests for permission to Jerry Zeidenberg, Publisher.

Search Site

Error: Enter a search term

  • Issues
    • Current Print Issue
    • Print Archive
  • Advertise
    • Publishing Schedule
    • Circulation
    • Unit Sizes and Rates
    • Mechanical Requirements
    • Electronic Advertising
    • White Papers
  • Subscribe
    • Print Edition
    • e-Messenger
    • White Papers
  • Events
  • Vendors
  • About Us